tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post6236443551991310169..comments2024-03-28T17:44:17.403-07:00Comments on The Weaver of Grass: When one door closes............The Weaver of Grasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-43339408430638120042009-11-11T07:31:12.703-08:002009-11-11T07:31:12.703-08:00Thank you for the interesting comments. You will...Thank you for the interesting comments. You will see that there is an update on my blog. As the Prime Minister is only partially sighted then i suppose there is some excuse. The lady who complained has now accepted his apology, so it will all blow over I expect.The Weaver of Grasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-79026151340635615942009-11-10T23:51:41.928-08:002009-11-10T23:51:41.928-08:00I would have been incensed if I had received this ...I would have been incensed if I had received this letter too. I think if you have poor handwriting, then if you really must use felt-tip, then a fine tip it must be - not something compatible with writing names on name-tags for shirts . . . <br /><br />Something so personal as a letter to a grieving mother was completely rushed and bodged and whoever passed it to be sent needs sacking too.<br /><br />I understand that GB is practically blind in one eye; he may have dyslexia, but I agree with Elisabeth when she says: <br /><br />"Spelling names correctly is important. It's part of our sense of identity and that to me is the worst part of the PM's error, because it suggests he perhaps didn't care as much as he might have."Bovey Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13117332471600275100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-40415352321634017022009-11-10T20:45:06.181-08:002009-11-10T20:45:06.181-08:00Good intention does not forgive the shortcomings y...Good intention does not forgive the shortcomings you point out...<br /><br /><br />Aloha, Friend!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://comfortspiral.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Comfort Spiral</a>Cloudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05853753108637831069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-85789537996933338942009-11-10T19:53:36.419-08:002009-11-10T19:53:36.419-08:00Spelling, handwriting, punctuation and personal le...Spelling, handwriting, punctuation and personal letters are all so important for communication and so neglected.Leeniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17655189620056032790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-50037327410102818132009-11-10T17:45:41.371-08:002009-11-10T17:45:41.371-08:00I, too, am a stickler for proper spelling. There ...I, too, am a stickler for proper spelling. There is great beauty in words and so many nuances amongst them that it is possible to express ourselves precisely if we so desire.<br /><br />What an unfortunate error for your PM. I'm sure his heart was in the right place, although it must have added insult to injury for the bereaved.Golden Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04590087189810939432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-86675562503761221592009-11-10T17:44:15.094-08:002009-11-10T17:44:15.094-08:00It occurs to me dear Weaver that there is a perfec...It occurs to me dear Weaver that there is a perfectly good reference book punlished in England called The Oxford Dictionary and if I can have one at hand, surely the PM can afford one too ... or is he unable to look up a word as well?<br />Am I being too severe? At least he could have had someone proof read it knowing his own shortcomings.<br />I will not eleborate on the atrocities of a felt tip, for marking clother, maybe, for letter writing, never.Arijahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03720793296992474762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-61050363933540508292009-11-10T16:30:11.856-08:002009-11-10T16:30:11.856-08:00Ah the gentle art of letter writing. Mostly a thin...Ah the gentle art of letter writing. Mostly a thing of the past these days. I rarely receive hand written letters, and certainly don't send them any more. My handwritng (which started out as a nice Marion Richardson round fat script) is now appalling. And what an awful blunder by your PM. Maybe it's kindest to think he had the best intentions.Jane Moxeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03771039102502842946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-37781845930441125312009-11-10T15:23:06.210-08:002009-11-10T15:23:06.210-08:00I write letters often, the old fashioned variety t...I write letters often, the old fashioned variety to a series of correspondents and because my hand writing is bad, I always type them, at least then they're legible. <br /><br />I'd love to have the ability to hand write beautifully, but given that I do not, the next best thing for me is the typed letter.<br /><br />Perhaps the PM could have typed his. On the other hand, it's possible his response was genuine and he really did want to connect.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that politicians can ever be genuine, and spontaneous though I'm sure sometimes they can. Maybe this is one such time, and so sad that he fluffed it.<br /><br />Spelling names correctly is important. It's part of our sense of identity and that to me is the worst part of the PM's error, because it suggests he perhaps didn't care as much as he might have.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-47563304040504205662009-11-10T13:29:34.021-08:002009-11-10T13:29:34.021-08:00I did happen to see this on the news here in Austr...I did happen to see this on the news here in Australia - initially of course I thought it showed extreme insensitivity but then when it was reported latter in the day it was suggested he was dyslexic? I thought it was a rather relevant detail and perhaps changed the reporting of the story - a PM who knows he has dsylexia but persists in writing his own letters and refuses departmental checks...or a personal assistant who knows the PM's disability and fails to adequate ensure these type of mistakes are not made.gleanerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826401785165112918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-70904830219371967552009-11-10T12:54:39.628-08:002009-11-10T12:54:39.628-08:00Oh dear I am afraid you would hate to get a letter...Oh dear I am afraid you would hate to get a letter from me, cant spell and my writing is terrible. Having said that any one in authority should make sure that what they write is correctly spelt and legible.Pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177627504060328999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-70087892648823235382009-11-10T12:23:25.626-08:002009-11-10T12:23:25.626-08:00I'm afraid he will just be remembered as the p...I'm afraid he will just be remembered as the prime minister who couldn't get anything right. After Blair there was a lot of good will for him but he's not been any kind of success.<br />xRachel Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11803852725693518924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-82248049841759441382009-11-10T12:05:57.508-08:002009-11-10T12:05:57.508-08:00My heart goes out to that grieving mother, but at ...My heart goes out to that grieving mother, but at least she had a letter from the Prime Minister. I don't suppose he has written to each of all the other parents whose sons have been killed. I don't know the details of the mis-spelt name. Was it really mis-spelt or simply badly written? Apart from this, I agree with everything you say in your post Weaver. In addition to not being taught to write and spell, our children are not even taught English grammar.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06826501916623305535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-3759381375571546042009-11-10T11:36:00.699-08:002009-11-10T11:36:00.699-08:00And at least it wasn't in purple ink!!And at least it wasn't in purple ink!!Tess Kincaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04889725786678984293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-68274977230636040342009-11-10T11:07:32.843-08:002009-11-10T11:07:32.843-08:00This is painful on so many levels. I cannot imagi...This is painful on so many levels. I cannot imagine how awful the poor soldier's mother must have felt to see her son's name misspelled. God.<br />But on the other hand, I just know the poor PM must have been mortified as well. All I can say...at least it wasn't an email!Pamela Terry and Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12746603636884819522noreply@blogger.com